Apparatus for use in manufacturing mosaic tiles or the like.



PATENTED SEPT. '26., 19.05.

. L. STREULI. APPARATUS FOR USE IN MANUFACTURING MOSAIC TILES OR. THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 3. 1904.

Z SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Witnesses:

fnvezzfon No. 800,338. PATENTED SEPT. 26, 1905.

-- L. STREULI.

APPARATUS-FOR USE INMANUFAGTURING MOSAIC TILES OR THELIKE.

- APPLICATION FILED NOV. 3, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHBET 2.

my; I 166 0 Z] Wmms'sesr UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS STREULI, OF ZURICH, SWITZERLAND. APPARATUS FOR USE IN MANUFACTURING MOSAIC TILES OR THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 26, 1905.

Application filed November 3, 1904. Serial No. 231,218.

v a stencil being arranged over the press-table,

said stencil comprising an upper fixed frame which is divided into compartments in accordance with the pattern of the mosaic drawing. The walls of the compartments are connected by means of cloth or-the like to the walls of corresponding compartments of a verticallymovable lower frame, which can be lowered into an empty mold of the press-table, conduits passing through the stencil being'formed conresponding to the mosaic drawing, through which conduits mosaic material can be discharged onto the bottom of the mold, whereupon the lower stencil-frame is lifted out from the mold in order to allow further movement of the table.

A construction of the device according to this invention is illustrated by way ofexample in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective View; Fig. 2, a side elevation; Fig. 8, a plan, partly in sec- 1 tion, on line E F of Fig. 2; Fig. 1, a front der the stencil.

. 3 in various working positions of thestencih) elevation, and Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are detail views.

Over a horizontal round. press-table 1, r0? tatably mounted on a vertical spindle 2, is ar}- ranged a stencil 3 in such manner that at the periodical stoppages of the press-table one of the molds 4 contained in it comes exactly unthe spindle 2. The spaces inside the frames 5 and 6 are divided by means of vertical par titions 8 and 9-into compartments or sections exactly corresponding to the drawing of the mosaic to be produced, (see Figs; 1, 3, 6, and 7, the Figs. 6 and 7 showing on an enlarged scale vertical sections on the line AB of Fig.

v12 are formed above the said screen.

opposite sides of the frame 5 lugs 13 project upward (see Fig. 5, which is a section on .ently-colored parts of the design.

This stencil is provided with thepartitions of the upper frame being exor screen 11, Figs. 6 and 7 so that reservoirs I At two line C D of Fig. 3) and are provided with pins 14 and 15, engaging with slots of links 16, mounted on the arm 7, whereby the frame.

5 is vertically guided. To the pins 15 are pivoted connectingrods 17, connected to crank-disks 19, mountedon one and the same crank-shaft 18. On the spindle 18, whichis mounted on a frame secured to the arm 7, are secured two cord-pulleys 21 and 22, over which. pass cords 23 and 24.

In making mosaic tiles or the like it is of course necessary to sharply define the differ- Hence it is necessary that the encompassing and partition walls of the stencil, by means of which the differently-colored materials are deposited on the bottom of the mold,should be firmly held thereto to prevent said materials from becoming sary that the stencil during the deposition of the difierently-colored materials on the mold be firmly held against lateral displacementand that means be provided to move the stencil off the .mold to permit of the rotation of the table'to bring'an empty mold under the stencil and to prevent the blending of the materials in the mold. In the machine described the table hasopenings forming the mold-cavities, the bottoms of which are removably supported thereon, as shown in dotted lines in v Fig. 2, and topermit the lowering of the etchcil into the mold-cavity onto'the bottom thereof and out-of said mold-cavity to permit the rotation of the table 1 saidstencil. is made vertically expansible and contractible, as above set forth. cessity of moving the entire stencil, which would be impracticable" in view of the fact that the feed-ducts 35 project more or less' into the compartments of the stencil and the fact that the shaking devices areoperated from cranks on an overhead shaft. On the other hand, by the construction described the This construction obviates the ne-' upper stencil-frame 6 is immovably heldagainstdisplacement in the arm while the lower frame 5 when in the mold-cavity is likewise immovably held therein, as will be readily understood.

The described device for artificial stone presses having a movable press-table for manufacturing mosaic tiles or the like is provided with a shaking device comprising, in front and at the back of the stencil 3, two horizontally-pivoted levers 25, mounted on the arm 7, one end of each lever being provided with a hammer 26, while the opposite ends of the said levers are connected together by means of a hinged rod 27. This rod is provided in the center with a vertical link 28, with which engages the crank-pin of a crank-shaft 29, mounted on a projection of the arm 7. The crank-shaft in question is driven by a cordpulley 30, over which passes a cord 31.

Over the stencil 3 are arranged three reservoirs 32 33 3 1, receiving the mosaic material and provided with tubular conduits 35, secured to the bottoms of the said reservoirs and depending over the compartments or sections of the stencil. The number of these conduits is the same as that of the compartments or fields of the stencil, the drawings showing only a few of the conduits for the sake of simplicity.

The working of the above-described device for artificial stone-presses having a movable press-table for manufacturing mosaic-plates is as follows: In Figs. 2, 4, 5, and 7 the bottom frame 5 of the stencil is shown lifted from the press-table. The latter turns until an empty mold 4 in it comes under the stencil. The reservoir 32 is filled, say, with red, the res ervoir 33 with white, and the reservoir 34 with black, mosaic material. The material from these reservoirs passes, in accordance with the consumption, through the conduits 35 into the reservoirs 12, which will always remain full. The bottom frame 5 of the stencil descends then into the empty mold of the press-table situated under it until the frame is standing on the bottom of the mold. This lowering of the frame is effected by the cord 24:, which turns the crank-shaft 18 in such manner that the crank-pins of the disks move downward, thus lowering the frame 5, suspended on them by means of the rods 17. The shaking device now becomes operative owing to the cord 31 passing over the pulley 30, turning the crankshaft 29, which then reeiprocates the rod 27. During its reciprocation the said rod 27 causes the hammers 26 to strike alternately the upper frame 6 of the stencil. Owing to the blows on the upper frame thus caused, the mosaic material contained in the reservoirs 12 is shaken, whereby it falls through the screen 11 onto the bottom of the mold of the presstable. The lower ends of the walls of the frame 5, which stand on the bottom of the mold, are made sharp, whereby the edges of the multicolored mosaic layers lying next to each other on the bottom of the mold are brought as near together as possible, so as to obtain as cohesive and as sharply and clearly defined mosaic picture as possible. The thickness of the multicolored mosaic layers coming to lie on the bottom of the mold can be adjusted by making the number of blows on the upper frame greater or smaller, whereby more or less material will fall through the screen 11. After the required thickness of the layers in question has been attained the bottom frame is taken outfrom the mold, which is done by the cord 23, \vhieh'turns the crank-shaft 18 in such manner that the crankpins of the crank-disks 19 rise u rnvard,\vhercby the frame 5, suspended to these pins by means of rods 17, is also raised or lifted out of the mold. Then the press-table is turned through another division until an empty mold is brought under the stencil, whereupon the press-table again comes to rest and the bottom frame 5 of the stencil is lowered in the manner described, and the same process begins over again. The mold prepared in the manner described is then brought for further treatment to a well-known filling device (not shown in the drawings) by means of which the mold is filled with background-iilling material in order to be subsequently submitted to compression.

The above-described device for artificialstone presses with movable press-tables serves for manufacturing mosaic tiles or the like the mosaic pictures of which are in three colors. This device can, however, be arranged for manufacturing mosaic tiles or the like with a smaller or larger number of colors than three, to which end the number of the reservoirs arranged above the stencil and intended to receive the mosaic material ismade to correspond to the number of colors. The conduits 35 shown are tubular; but they can also have the shape of channels.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is 1. In an artificial-stone press, an intermittently-rotating press-table carrying molds, in combination with an upper frame arranged above the press-table and provided with transverse partitions dividing it into compartments corresponding to the mosaic to be formed, a bottom frame with transverse partitions also dividing it into similar compartments, flexible partitions connecting the partitions of the upper frame with those of the bottom frame and means for lowering the bottom frame into an empty mold on the press-table, and raising it again after the mosaic material has been deposited on the bottom of the mold, substantially as described.

2. In an artificial-stone press, an intermittently-rotating press-table carrying molds, in combination with an upper frame arranged above the press-table and provided with transverse partitions dividing it into compartments corresponding to the mosaic to be formed, sieves or screens closing the said compartments at the bottom, means' for horizontally shaking the top frame, a bottomframe with transverse partitions dividing it-into compartments corresponding tothe mosaic to be formed, flexible walls or partitions connecting the sides-of the compartments of the top frame with those of the bottom frame, and

means for lowering the bottom frame into an empty mold on the press-table and lifting it out again, after the mosaic material has been deposited on the bottom of the mold, substantially as described. a Y 3. In an artificial-stone press, an intermittently-rotating press-table carrying molds, in combination with a top frame arranged above the press-table and provided with transverse walls dividing it into compartments corresponding to the mosaic to be formed, screens, closing the said compartments underneath and forming their bottoms, a shaking device for striking blows against the sides of the top frame and shaking it in horizontal direction, a bottom frame with transverse partitions dividing it into compartments corresponding to the mosaic to be formed, flexible walls connecting the sides of the compartments of the top frame with those of the bottom frame, and means for lowering the bottom frame into an empty mold on the press-table and lifting it out again after the deposit of the mosaic material on the bottom of the mold, substantially as described.

4. In an artificial-stone press, an intermittently-rotating press-table carrying molds,

in combination with a top frame arranged above the press-table and provided with trans verse partitions dividing it into compartments corresponding to the mosaic to be formed,

reservoirs for material arranged above the said frame, conduits 'arranged between the said .reservoirs and the compartments of the frame, a bottom'frame with transverse partitions dividing it. into compartments corresponding to the mosaic to be formed, flexible walls connecting the'sides of the compartments of the top frame with those 'of the bottom frame, and means for lowering the bottom frame 'into an empty mold on the presstable and lifting it out again after depositing the mosaic material on the bottom of the mold,

substantially as described.

5. In an artificial-stone press an intermittently-rotating press-table carrying molds, in combination with a top frame arranged above the press-table and provided with transverse partitions dividing it into compartments corresponding to the mosaic to be formed, screens closing the said compartments underneath and forming their bottoms, reservoirs for-receiving mosaic material arranged above the said frame, conduits arranged between the said reservoirs and the compartments of the frame,

a bottom frame with transverse partitions dividing it into compartments corresponding to the mosaic to be formed, flexible Walls connecting the sides of the compartments of the top frame to those of the bottom frame, and means for lowering the bottom frame into an empty mold on the press-table and lifting it out again after depositing the mosaic material on the bottom of the mold, substantially as described.

6. In an artificial-stone press, an intermit tently-rotating press-table carrying molds, in

combination with a top frame arranged above the press-table and provided with transverse partitions dividing it into compartments corresponding to the mosaic to be formed, screens closing the said compartments underneath and forming their bottoms, reservoirs for the material above the said frame, conduits between the reservoirs and the compartments of the frame, a shaking device for striking blows against the sides of the top frame and shaking it horizontally, a bottom frame with partitions dividing it into compartments corresponding to the mosaic to be formed, flexible walls connecting the sides of the compartments of the top frame to those of the bottom frame, and means for lowering the bottom frame into an empty mold'on the presstable and lifting it outagain after the deposit of the mosaic material on the bottom of the mold, substantially as described.

7 Apparatus such as described, comprising a-revolubletable and a mold or molds carried thereby, in combination with a stencil above and stationary relatively to said table, said stencil contractible and extensible and divided by partitions corresponding to the design of the mosaic to be produced, for the purpose set forth. i

8. Apparatus such as described, comprising a revoluble table and a mold or molds carried.

thereby; in combination with atwo-part stencil above and stationary relatively to said table, said stencil divided into compartments corresponding to the design of themosaic to be produced by rigid and intermediate flexible partitions, whereby said stencil is rendered contractibleand extensible, for the purpose set forth.-

9. Apparatus such as described, comprising ing a revoluhle table and one or more molds countersunk therein; in combination with a stencil above and stationar; relatively to said table, said stencil composed of upper and lower frames the latter movable vertically on the former and divided by rigid partitions corresponding to the design of the mosaic to be produced, said frames connected by corresponding flexible partitions, and means to move the lower frame toward and from the upper frame and out of and into a mold-cavit v in the table, for the purpose set forth.

11. Apparatus such as described, comprising a revoluble table and one or more molds countersunk therein, a stencil above and stationary relatively to said table, said stencil comprising upper and lower frames divided by rigid partitions into compartments corresponding to the design of the mosaic to be to this specification in the presence of twosuhscribing witnesses.

LOUIS S'lRICULI.

Witnesses:

A. LIEBERKNIGCII'I, MONTZ V EITH. 

